An Eye For An Eye : The Tragedy of Tasia & Tavena
by Flikaline Rosalka
Summary: 'Mother,' the little girl began, trembling and having to make an effort to keep her voice steady, 'Tasia's gone, and she's not coming back'.    The story of Miss Lovat and her twin sister. There may be a few edits to the first part before the next part.
1. Part 1

**An Eye For An Eye**

**The Tragedy of Tasia & Tavena Lovat**

**Part 1**

She had barely drawn breath when she noticed the doll lying by the fireplace. She crawled over and grabbed the only remnant of her sister she had left. It took her about a minute to realize that she was sobbing, hugging the doll tightly, the key pressing into her palm. She didn't see the dolls expression change into a cruel grin, when she did look down at it, the expression had gone back to normal.

On hearing the sobs, their mother, or rather her mother hurried into the room to find Tavena sitting in front of that rather odd tiny door, curled up, sobbing violently, with the doll Tasia had adored so much in her arms.

'What ever is the matter?' the woman asked, 'where's Tasia?' Tavena looked up, an expression of pure misery and tragedy passed across the twin's face.

'Mother,' the little girl began, trembling and having to make an effort to keep her voice steady, 'Tasia's gone, and she's not coming back'.

* * *

><p>A little white girl looked over at her little white friend. The two little white girls hurried over to the group of little white children they had been playing with. It was time for their picnic.<p>

Once the adults began discussing politics and failed to pay attention to them, the group of children huddled together and started their own discussion in low voices.

'Hey, you know that haunted house, right?' said a blond girl.

'Yes,' replied a boy, 'it's full of spooky things!'

'No it's not,' responded another girl with brown hair in pig tales, 'people have lived in it!'

'Yes,' added another boy, 'if it was obviously spooky, no one would buy that house!'

'It's seems quite ordinary from the outside,' the blond girl told them, 'but people disappear, children vanish and never come back,' There was silence for a moment before she continued: 'but about no one buying, that's what I wanted to mention, a family of negroes moved in.'

'Really?' asked the first boy, wrinkling his nose in something which wasn't far from disgust.

'A women and twin daughters,' the blond girl replied, 'but how they have money, never mind the nerve . . .' She didn't finish because the adults were approaching.

'That was lovely,' said one of the mothers, 'we should come out for picnics more often.' 

* * *

><p>The twins' names were Tasia and Tavena Lovat, Tavena being the older by about 2 minutes. Although they were twins, there were clear differences between them as well as clear similarities. Tasia was the more sensitive one who required slightly more attention while Tavena was less sensitive and needed less attention. Tavena had always got on better with her mom than her dad, Tasia was the opposite. It is clear, therefore, the two children reacted slightly differently when their father died.<p>

Their father had been one of the unusual black people at the time that had been very successful and so had left behind quite a large sum of money. Quite a lot of this money was used to buy The Pink Palace (although for some reason or another, the house was unusually cheap), and most of the rest of it was used to fix it up for, although it had be owned, it hadn't been lived in for some time.

The twins would soon be going to the same school which would be a new experience for them, and they weren't sure what they thought about the idea; they had always gone to separate schools before; this had been their father's idea, he thought that they were more likely to make friends with the other children if they went to different schools. The fact that they had never been to the same school may explain some of their differences.

Zalira Lovat, the girls' mother became very busy in a short space of time with all the modifications to the house. Of course, this was to be expected but what bothered the twins, especially Tasia, was that after the house had been fixed up, their mother remained busy and perhaps became more busy then she had been while dealing with the house. It soon became clear that she was going to remain this busy for quite some time.

'Let's go outside, Tavena!' Tasia whispered excitedly, as if she was afraid their mother would hear them despite the fact she had left the house a few minutes earlier.

'It's raining, Tasia,' her sister replied.

'Only a bit,' Tasia responded uncertainly.

'Enough for you to get your dress wet,'

'I don't care,' she replied quietly but stubbornly.

'And muddy,'

'I don't care about that either,' Tasia told her. Tavena sighed, she wanted to go outside too but she knew that their mother would be annoyed when she got back if they went out in this weather. Tavena knew that if she admitted her thoughts to her sister, she would be persuaded to go out so she resorted to the only thing she could think of.

'I'm older than you, Tasia, so I'm in charge while Mother's out,' she stated. She knew this would probably cause a bad reaction but not as bad as it did.

'Only by two minutes!' Tasia shouted, (it was her usual reaction but she had never said it so angrily before), 'I hate it here!' she continued, 'I don't want to live here! I want an other home!' Tavena was so shocked by her reaction that she didn't think to prevent her running outside.

Tasia didn't come back inside until their mother returned and dragged her back into the hated house, scolding her for how muddy she was. When they arrived back at the house, Tavena noticed that her sister was concealing something bulgy under her cardigan but quickly forgot about it when their mother started scolding her for not preventing Tasia from going outside.

'It wasn't at least completely my fault,' Tavena tried to explain without sounding too annoyed, 'I tried to stop her, but she ran out anyway.' As soon as she'd said it, she wished she hadn't, Tasia glared at her while their mother became less angry with Tavena because she was being honest and had been being good but this made her more angry with Tasia for not listening to her twin.

'You're going to bed without any supper, Tasia,' This would've been bad enough if Tasia had had her lunch but she had been too miserable to, 'Tavena, I bought this for you while I was out,' Zalira handed Tavena a lovely china doll. She had bought something was Tasia as well but since she had not behaved, she didn't want to give it to her now. Tasia glared at her mother, feeling as if their mother was being deliberately cruel. 'Tasia, I told you to . . .'

'I hate you!' Tasia screamed through tears, 'I would prefer a step-mother to you!'

'Maybe you should be a better girl and be careful what you wish for!' Zalira retorted. Tasia stormed upstairs. Tavena couldn't understand what had raised such a colossal argument. It was almost as if their mother and Tasia were indirectly arguing about something that Tavena wasn't aware of.

'I wish I had an other mother, I really do!' Tasia said to herself as she went, holding more tightly to the bulge in her cardigan.


	2. Part 2

**Part 2**

It was going to be the first day at their new school and Tasia still hadn't forgiven their mother and their mother hadn't forgiven Tasia. Although Tasia hadn't done anything else against what their mother had told them, Tasia's body language gave away her true feelings of misery which Zalira interpreted as sulking. If their mother hadn't been so busy, she may have had a better idea of how Tasia was feeling. Tasia missed her father a lot more than her mother and her twin realized and Tavena being given that china doll had made everything worse. At least she could take comfort in the fact that she had something much more special than Tavena would ever have.

These thoughts passed through Tasia's head as she and Tavena walked to their new school (their mother was too busy to take them herself). Tavena, on the other hand, was thinking about what their new school might be like and could only presume that her sister was thinking about the same thing.

Their school was rather shabby-looking which wasn't really surprising due to the lack of funding that went into it and other schools like it. The other children were waiting outside the school with one or two of their parents. Most of the adults were either chatting to each other about some topic which seemed rather dull to their children or pestering them to be good or make themselves look neater before school started.

The adults soon began to disappear leaving the little black boys and girls to chat (in the majority of the girls' cases) and to run around playing (in the majority of the boys' cases). Tasia and Tavena soon separated; they had agreed to do this in order to make friends. Tavena swiftly headed toward a group of three or four girls, Tasia was about to go toward a group too when something else caught her interest.

There was a black man accompanied by a white woman walking toward the school. A murmur of 'half-caste' went round the other black children who had stopped to look too. Tasia didn't understand what they meant until she saw a little boy, who was about her and her sister's age. Unlike the other children, Tasia watched him with interest.

Tasia was the last to enter the classroom full of rickety old tables and chairs. Tavena had already settled herself down among the girls in the class. There was only one seat left; unsurprisingly, it was next to the little mixed race boy. Tasia felt a sudden pang of pity for him but at the same time, she was quite pleased that the seat next to him was vacant.

She sat down next to him. The boy looked away, evidently expecting immediate rejection and irritation from the other child, that pretty black girl, due to the fact that she had had to sit next to him. When he did peek, he misinterpreted her small smile as a smirk before he peeped again a few seconds later.

Tasia quickly realized she was going to have to take the first step. She held out her dainty little hand to him.

'I'm Tasia, Tasia Lovat,' she told him gently in an attempt to make him feel more comfortable. He looked rather surprised, and for a moment, thought that he must have mistaken the greeting to be addressed to him. His hand shock slightly as he made to shake hers. His hand felt warm in hers.

'I'm Diallo,' he replied timidly, 'Diallo Foster.'

How was she going to do this without Tavena catching on? Tasia knew she wouldn't approve of her spending time outside school with the half-caste boy.

Diallo was a rather small boy who lacked confidence evidently due to being constantly rejected by the other children. Tasia had been able to help Diallo improve is confidence over the course of the school day. Diallo liked Tasia immensely and was very glad of her company not only because it discouraged bullying but because she was such a lovely, sweet girl. Diallo had asked Tasia if she would like to spend time with him after school,

'I could show you the old well if you like,' he had offered. He knew his parents would be only too glad for him to spend time with another child at last.

'There's a well?'

'Yes, it's falling apart,' he explained, 'it'll have to covered sooner or later to make it safer.'

It was necessary for Tasia to get her twin to tell their mother without her realizing who she would be spending time with. Fortunately, Tasia found an ideal moment when Tavena was busy talking to her new friends, knowing she wouldn't really think about what Tasia was saying.

'Fine, fine, Tasia,' Tavena had replied dismissively, not seeing Tasia's grin at her response before Tasia ran off to find Diallo.

Hand in hand, they had raced away from school, unnoticed by the other children.

'Are you sure your parents won't mind?' Tasia asked her new friend. Diallo gave a confident nod. They headed for the woodland. It seemed almost to have an aura of mystery and magic to Tasia. Perhaps it was the reflection of light on the light leaves moved by a soft breeze, or being with Diallo, maybe? It was partly at least because of Diallo but maybe it was the rashness and touching rebellious action of running of with him. It was a little like eloping, perhaps? This was only comparison she could think of at the time.

The little black girl hadn't realized until this moment how close she actually lived to the location of the ancient, and mysterious well. It was evident that the bricks which were encircling the deep drop would not last much longer at all; they were very old, many were in pieces and others had a thick layer of mossy plant life growing on them; they didn't look particularly stable either.

The two children glanced down into the deep depths.

'The top part rotted away a long time ago,' the mixed race boy explained with a smile; he seemed rather pleased to have another child to impart his knowledge of the well to, 'it was made of wood, you see . . .' His companion gave a sweet, slightly shy smile.

'I didn't realize there was a well here,' she said thoughtfully, 'I do not live far away at all.'

'May I see where you live?' Diallo asked a little hesitantly.

Diallo gawped at the estate house. He turned to Tasia.

'You, you live here?' he whispered nervously, staring in awe at the magnificent building, newly painted and repaired. 'I guess, no-one will be able to think it might be haunted or something . . .'

'Haunted?' Tasia asked curiously.

'Some people think so. . .' he replied quickly and little nervously, 'I don't know why, probably superstition though . . .' Tasia gave a small nod and a little smile.

'At least they'll be no need to give anyone directions, all I need to do is say it's renowned to be haunted.' Diallo gave a reluctant smile.

'I never knew where it was before,' he admitted, shifting a little from side to side, 'they didn't want me to go inside,'

'So you can't come in?' Tasia asked shyly.

'That was when it was empty; they thought I might get hurt on something inside.'

Tasia hesitated before knocking. She knew that Tavena was not going to approve her twin's choice in friend. She was right. Tavena rushed to the door, hoping it might be her mother. She was a little disappointed to see it was her twin instead but was shocked at the company she had brought home. Tasia ignored her sister's expression of repulsion and led Diallo into the house. Tavena, appalled, stared at them. Their mother would surely not like this one bit.

'It must've been my imagination,' Diallo said half to himself, fiddling with a bit of his straight black hair.

'Is something the matter,' Tasia asked softly.

'I thought I saw something on the other side of this wall which is not on this side,' he replied, his head looking down at the newly placed floor, his confused expression glazed. Tasia put her dainty hand on his crumpled shoulder.

'We'll go and have a look shall we?'

He gave a slightly lopsided nod and his expression lit up a little. The two children scampered round to where the other side of the wall was.

'It's around here, I saw something, I thought maybe . . .'

'Is this it?' she asked him. There was a small area of the wall where the wood of the wall seemed to be slightly awkward, loose and breaky.

'That's it, Tasia!' Diallo exclaimed, his blue eyes glowing with a combination of pleasure, excitement and affection. The sweet little girl edged over to the loose part of the wall and carefully began to pull at the wood. The thought that her mother would tell her off did cross her mind but she quickly dismissed it, who cared in any case. Diallo came over to help her. It took a little time but they both kept going. Diallo may have stopped if Tasia had but she felt she couldn't. She didn't know why but she felt some sort of urge to do it as well as being very curious.

'Diallo! There's a door!' Tasia exclaimed. The door was very small and wooden. The wood appeared to be very old and seemed to be partly rotten but to the touch it was smooth. The key hole was stuffed with, what looked like, paper.

'Tasia!' a voice screeched from behind them. The twins' mother had returned to the house but she wasn't angered most by the mess of wood. 'Get that half-caste out of this house!' Zalira looked down to see Tasia's defiant glare.

'Why should I?' she muttered through gritted teeth. Zalira was even more furious. She grabbed Diallo by the arm and pushed him out the house with a lot of trouble due to Tasia's attempts to stop her.

'Stay out of my house!' Zalira shouted at Diallo while Tasia cried tears of rage. She didn't know why but she felt like the little door was pulling her toward it.


	3. Part 3

**Part 3**

It hadn't been exactly pleasant after Zalira had chucked Diallo out the house. There had been a huge argument between Zalira and her younger daughter. Zalira seemed to have the impression that the only explanation for Tasia bringing the mixed race boy home was to annoy her which wasn't true. Perhaps if Tasia hadn't seemed to be so badly behaved recently in her eyes, she would not have taken this view. Zalira's depression over the loss of her husband had made her less patient, more argumentative and less emotionally connected to others.

The fact that Tasia was feeling similar depressive moods both because of her father's death and the way her mother was treating her hadn't entered Zalira's or Tavena's mind. In fact, it was likely that Zalira had made Tasia feel less connected to the members of her family she had left and perhaps more defiant. Tavena was therefore shocked to learn that her twin was still spending, and very likely quite a bit more time, with Diallo both at school and after.

Zalira, who was more concerned about earning money and fighting her depression, had not really noticed that one of her daughters was often absent. She had realized, however, that she had been rather too harsh on her recently. She had begun to learn that Tasia may have had, at least, a little reason for saying she would rather live with a witch.

Unfortunately, she had so little time, and patience, that she had been unable to do much about the situation as well as the fact she felt she needed to keep her authority and that Tasia was attacking it; she couldn't just give in to her daughter's demands. Tavena was well behaved, why couldn't Tasia behave in the same way?

* * *

><p>There was something lurking, something lurking in the dark. <em>It's not after me<em>, were Tavena's first thoughts, _whatever it is_. She didn't know how she knew it or why. She was more aware of these thoughts than that there was anything there at all. There was no wind, no taste or smell nor any sort of feeling, at least, she thought at first, until she understood that the atmosphere, if that was what you could call it was, was full of loss and forgetting. Something chinkled next to her foot, it couldn't be darkness after all for she could see the small object quite clearly. She picked up the white thimble and examined it. Round the outside of it was a linear pattern of little black buttons.

'Don't let her come,' whispered a voice softly but urgently, yet distant in her ear. Tavena turned round but saw nothing there. 'Don't let her come,' repeated what sounded like the voice of a girl but how could it be? Surely she would be able to see her.

* * *

><p>It had been a very weird dream. Tavena had pointed this out to her twin who was barely listening.<p>

'It was just a dream,' Tasia said with a small shrug. Tavena was irritated by this dismissal of the subject.

'You still hanging round with that half-caste then?' she asked Tasia grumpily.

'His name is Diallo,' came Tasia's stubborn tone, 'don't call him that!'

'Why not?' replied a scowling Tavena, 'that's what he is,'

'He's also my friend!'

'Your _boyfriend_ more like! That's how you act about him! What do you think my friends think?'

'Why would I care what they think? And so what if Diallo was my boyfriend? He's not but what would it matter if he were?'

'Stop acting so stupid, Tasia! A half-caste and a black girl! That will never be allowed!'

'I don't really care what you think, Tavena,' Tasia replied stiffly, 'and the same goes for mother, if I should even . . .'

'And as for my friends, Tasia, isn't it obvious! We're twins! We're supposed to be the same! What you do affects how they look at me too!'

Tavena didn't notice Tasia grab something from behind the curtain but she did see her having her hands behind her back and backing toward the door.

'I'm going downstairs,' Tasia told her quickly.

'We're not finished here, Tasia!' Tavena gasped angrily before realizing that she had sounded far too much like their mother.

'Let me be!' Tasia cried out, close to tears, 'Why can't both of you just let me be!' She ran from the room. Tavena ran for the door.

'Tasia! Wait! I . . .' Tavena stopped. She had almost fallen over something. Something Tasia must have dropped. Tavena picked it up and stared at it. As she continued to stare she heard Tasia's footsteps coming back up the stairs, coming to retrieve her beloved treasure. She raced into the room.

'Give it back, Tavena!' exclaimed Tasia in alarm.

'I found it!' Tavena replied sharply, she was still angry with her sister.

'Give it back! It's mine!'

'Finders keepers! I found it!'

'I dropped it! You know it!'

'So?'

'It belongs to me! It looks just like me!'

'We're twins, Tasia!'

'The dress is pink, not yellow! Give me back my doll!'

'Why should I? You've got no proof it belongs to you!'

'Yes I do! Look at the label!'

Tavena hadn't noticed the label before this moment. She looked down at it, and, with difficulty, read what it said on it:

**_For my beloved, precious, treasure: Tasia,_**

**_I hope this will be able to demonstrate the extent of my maternal care for you._**

Tavena stared. It couldn't be from mother, she would never have written such sappy stuff but who . . ?

'That doesn't prove anything!' Tavena retorted, her grouchiness toward her sister was preventing her from admitting that Tasia was right.

'Tavena, please, give it back!' Tasia begged. It was clear to Tavena that the doll was a symbol of the love that Tasia felt she was being denied and meant a lot to her but still, Tavena hesitated, she didn't know why, but she had a bad feeling about giving the doll back, but, at last, she relented, to Tasia's delight and relief.

'Thank you, Tavena, thank you!' Tasia cried, hugging her sister with exceptional tightness. Once Tasia had eventually let go, Tavena studied the doll that was now being held lovingly in Tasia's arms.

_It's funny,_ Tavena thought, _that doll's button-eyes look exactly like the ones on that thimble in my dream_.


	4. Part 4

**Part 4**

'So where did you find that doll anyway, Tasia?' Tavena asked her as they walked to school.

'Funny story actually,' Tasia replied with a sweet smile which Tavena could never achieve, 'you remember that day I ran out into the rain,' Tavena suddenly remembered the bulge in Tasia's cardigan.

'You surely didn't find it out there in the rain, it would've been wet and dirty!'

'That's the strangest thing about it,' Tasia piped up, 'I found it under a small tree when a remainder of sunlight shone in the direction.'

'Someone just left it there! But wasn't it . . ?'

'It was completely dry and free of mud despite the weather!'

'How could it have got there without getting wet? Do you have any idea who could have left it there?' Tavena asked. There was just something just a tiny bit wrong about this. Tasia shook her head, smiling slightly. Tavena was about to ask another question when Diallo hurried up to them. She moved away quickly. What would her friends think if they saw? Tavena just managed to hear Tasia beginning to tell Diallo about an odd dream she had had, something about hearing odd noises in the house or something like that . . . Tasia seemed to think that someone had been calling to her; Tavena had thought her dream was weird!

* * *

><p>'Tavena! Tavena, wake up!'<p>

'Tasia?' Tavena murmured, 'It's the middle of the night.' She opened her eyes to see a shape, which, as she got used to the light, turned into Tasia in her pink, frilly, nightgown.

'I had a dream last night, Tavena, but I'm not sure it was a dream!'

'Tasia? What are you doing?' she asked sleepily.

'Something's happening, Tavena, I know it!'

'Huh?'

'I hear it again! A voice, calling to me! Come on!'

'I don't hear anything, Tasia,'

'It's like singing, Tavena! Daydream? No, dreaming. It's 'dreaming', Tavena!'

'Tasia? Can't this wait? What ever it is . . ?' Tasia began to try to pull Tavena out of bed. After this failed, Tasia headed for the door alone. 'Tasia! Where are you going!' Tavena jumped out of bed and hurried after her sister.

Tasia had always been the one scared of the dark until now; she now advanced down the corridor boldly, Tavena, who couldn't help but feel a little fearful, close behind. The shadows on the walls looked like thin soulless creatures and the occasional shadow of a tree coming in from outside could easily be mistaken for huge clawing hands.

Tasia couldn't stop, she didn't know where she was going, at least, not at first, then, as the mist in her mind cleared, it became obvious. Why hadn't it been all the time? Tavena was worried, this wasn't normal for Tasia, it was as if she were in some kind of trance.

On reaching the door, Tasia hurriedly removed the paper from the keyhole and tossed it aside. Hurrying over, Tavena grabbed the paper and stuffed it into her nightgown pocket. Tasia began clawing at the wood.

'Tasia! What are you doing?' Tavena whispered frantically. A cold black key fell to the floor. It had been trapped in the wood. Tasia opened the door. A pale light flooded across the room. Both twins stared, one in shock, the other in delight.

'I'm going to wake mother.' Tavena said abruptly. Tasia scowled.

'Come on,' Tasia said matter-of-factly, 'I'm going down there,'

'Tasia,' Tavena began, 'I don't think . . .' But Tasia had already begun to crawl down the bright white and pale pink tunnel. 'Tasia! Wait!' There was a slightly pink mist in the tunnel and now Tavena thought that she might be able to hear the singing voice that Tasia had mentioned earlier but not the calling that Tasia seemed to be hearing and was delighting in.

Tasia raced out of the door at the end of the tunnel which was unlocked. With a quick push, it was open. Tavena hurried after her sister. _I must be dreaming,_ thought Tavena, _it all looks exactly the same!_

'Tavena! Look at this!' Tasia called. No, it wasn't exactly the same, there were subtle differences; differences, Tavena thought, that Tasia was delighting in. As Tavena stared around the room, trying to make sense of it all, she realized Tasia had run off. Tavena raced after her. She had headed for the kitchen.

'Tasia!' came a sweet voice, 'I knew you'd come!' Tavena rushed into the room. She let out a scream. Her eyes! The woman's eyes were . . ! 'No need to be scared, Tavena!'

'Who a-a-are y-y-you?' Tavena stuttered.

'Why's Tavena so scared Mommy?' Tasia asked the woman

'She's not our mother!' spluttered Tavena.

'I'm your Other Mother, Tavena!'

'N-no,' Tavena replied slowly, flattening herself against the wall, there was something she really didn't like about this woman, 'you, you can't be.' Tavena knew that the woman kind of looked like their mother, but she also reminded her of some one else too but she wasn't sure who . . .

The woman seemed to have begun to ignore Tavena and had picked Tasia up and sat her on her shoulders. Tasia was delighted. Tavena couldn't believe that Tasia didn't seem to be a bit disturbed by those eyes, those button eyes. It was horrific. It was one thing on a doll but another thing entirely on a person! It was, wasn't it? Tavena wasn't sure now, she wasn't really sure of anything any more.

Tavena looked out the window to see Tasia enjoying a ride around the garden which, Tavena noticed, was filled with all Tasia's favorite flowers. Tavena suddenly realized who this woman was reminding her of: Ocho Lovat, their father; he always used to give Tasia rides like that.

About five minutes later, the adult and child returned to the house.

'It's wonderful!' Tasia was saying, 'Absolutely wonderful!'

'I'm glad you like it, Tasia,' the woman replied.

'Isn't it great, Tavena!' exclaimed Tasia, seeing her sister approaching, 'having another mother!' Tavena didn't reply.

'You must see how I've done up your room, Tasia,' the woman said to the younger twin, 'I'm sure you'll love it!' Tavena gave a small sigh and looked down the corridor at the mirror at the end. She thought, for a moment, that she saw a couple of shapes moving in it. After a few moments of looking at her reflection, she turned abruptly. The woman and Tasia had gone into the next room but Tavena was sure she hadn't seen the woman leave in the mirror, in fact, now she thought about it, had she seen the woman in the mirror at all?


End file.
